Week #34

Dear all.

SO MUCH IS DIFFERENT. But I have, like, two seconds, so here are the deets.

I no be in Hiroshima no more. I white washed into an area in Yamaguchi into the city of Hofu. Allow me to reiterate the extremity of the circumstances I am under:

This transfer, there are only three sisters training. I am one of them. The other two are Japanese. I am the ``youngest`` of the three.

Of the three of us, I am the only one to white wash an area.

I am also the only one with an American companion.

What is this nonsense.

I never ever ever ever thought I`d REALLY leave Hiroshima to train anyone, let alone another fellow American. Her name is Sister Baird and she`s very excited to be here. It`s been a pleasure to be her companion thus far.

We are the only sisters in the whole mission to be in a Branch this small. There are only about 15-20 active members and it REALLY needs our help. I can`t help but feel like there is a very, very specific reason that we have both come here.

Hofu has been an Elders-area for the last 10-ish years. They didn`t leave us too much to work with. No investigators except for one crazy man who called us drunk the other day. The records at the apartment are all disorganized. I barely know how to read maps (my language study now consists of learning/searching for kanji on maps so I can KIND of figure out where people live) (but hey, at least I`m learning kanji!)

The worst part about it switching from an Elders to a Sisters area, though, is the apartment. When I called them before transferring, they told me they were cleaning and trying to get it ``Shimai-ready.`` Well, I don`t know what THEY think that means, but it definitely WASN`t Shimai-ready. There was a huge loaf of bread, a big bag of oranges, and at least 4 different tupper wares in the fridge that were LITERALLY surrounded by a thick layer of mold. It was the nastiest thing I`d ever seen in my life. The apartment was in pretty poor condition.

I`ve lost my voice because I have been speaking more now than I have my entire mission put together. It`s very odd suddenly having everyone think I`m 100% fluent. I`m not. But I have to pretend to be because ONE of us has to speak Japanese. Haha. It`s an adventure every day.

There is a lot that scares me, but I know that by relying on the Lord more now than I ever have we can make a difference in Hofu. I`m hoping to do so. I`m hoping to find investigators. I`m hoping to reactivate some people. We`ll see, we`ll see.

Keep praying for this girl right here.

Love,

Sista Smith.

Week #33

Well kids, this week was cray.

First of all, though, I want to send a shout out to my beloved BYU Bookstore-ers. I know at least one of you is reading this. Thanks for keeping it real, sending me cool origami stuff, and remembering me. Also thanks for reading from this little blog of mine, it`s a pretty nice feeling to know I`m not just shouting to an empty void. I just try to think creatively. YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWESOME. If I don`t get around to writing you back, know that I lurve you lots. Keep listing up important memes for me.

Second thing`s second. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM. I`m so sorry I forgot to say so last week! I raised a glass (of milk) in your honor on the 19th. I hope it was fantabulous. You are the best mother in the whole entire world and I`m more than 1,000 times grateful for your amazingness.

Okay. Next, let me just tell you LET ME JUST TELL YOU how exhausted I am. 

(I`m exaggerating. It`s not really that bad. But I am tired).

Thursday I trumped my mecha pera-pera man at Eikaiwa by astonishing him with my ability to spell ``hors d`oeuvres`` correctly. This doesn`t contribute to the exhaustion, it was just a good moment in my week.

Friday was a normal work day. But we had quite a few appointments and road our bikes to far away lands preaching the gospel into the sunset. Nothing special, just the usual fatigue. However, one of our progressing investigators didn`t show up to our appointment - which is super unusual for her punctuality - and we have had no contact with her since. :(

Saturday we got up at 4:00 am to catch a 5:00 am bus to go to the temple in Fukuoka. It was my first time going to the temple since being out here. That was pretty awesome. The temple is super small but super pretty. I also did two sessions in a row to help out a member with some family names. It was really great. But tiring. Also 8 hours of bus-time is  less than fun. I did eat a really good cheeseburger, though. Best cheeseburger I`ve had since my last venture to In `N` Out. (This is important information).

Saturday night, I got a call at 10:15 from the APs. They told me that I was going to be a trainer next transfer so I had to come down to Fukuoka AGAIN on Monday for a special training thingie. President, if you expect me to obey the mission rules and go to bed at 10:30, you can`t deliver such an astonishing message at TEN FIFTEEN. 

I was up for four more hours sufficiently freaking out. There was no way this girl could sleep.

Seriously, though, I can`t be a trainer! I can`t be trusted with the poor innocent soul of a new missionary! I can`t talk on the phone! I can`t cook! I can`t speak Japanese! I can`t be trusted with missionary work! Gus Kaicho, you better triple check that revelation.

However, my question from last transfer ``Why on earth am I with my trainer for four transfers?`` was definitely answered. The things I`ve been able to learn from Sister Hinode are invaluable. There are a lot of good missionaries here, but Sister Hinode possesses unique talents. I could have learned how to work hard from anyone, but she taught me how to speak politely, how to not cross my legs in lessons because Japanese people don`t like that, how to not answer the phone while on the train or bus, how to speak to cute little grandmas, how to work with the members, the importance of remembering people`s names... the list goes on. But I can definitely rest assured that THIS is why I was with her for so long.

Anyway.

Sunday, with just a few hours of sleep, we had a baptism! Yamamoto-san was baptized and it was amazing. Sister Hinode and I are becoming pros at pulling it together. Yamamoto-san bore a great testimony of how reading the Book of Mormon and believing in Christ she was able to quit tobacco - a habit she`s had for almost 20 years. She never thought that was possible before. It was a great program and Hatsukaichi has one great new member. With Yamamoto-san, Hinode Shimai and I focused more on the Atonement than anything else. This enabled her to feel empowered to work hard to quit smoking and to turn her life around for Christ. I know that through the Atonement anyone can make such a change, and that is really cool for me to see.

Baptisms=tiring.

Monday, I got up at 6:00 to take the bullet train down to Fukuoka. This is the first time they have had such a ``training`` meeting. But there are tons of new missionaries coming, so eerbody is becoming trainers! There are three new sisters coming and sixteen new elders. Of the trainers, I was the second youngest (one Elder is just finishing transfer 2 - now THAT`S crazy). We talked about being examples and stuff. It was a good training. It got me thinking of the goals I wanted to set for this new companionship. I still don`t think I`m capable, but I`m going to try my best to make something work.

Then I took ANOTHER 4 hour bus back to Hiroshima. We got home at around 10:00. 

And that is why this girl is tired.

Pray for me. But mostly pray for Japan. With this girl as a trainer, the work can only floor plummet.

We still haven`t gotten transfer calls yet, so I don`t know where I`ll be training or who my new missionary will be. You`ll just have to tune in next week...

Annnnnnd on the secular side of things, ROGER EBERT DIED? I`m a little bit unnecessarily sad about this thing.

Seriously, people, pray for me. I`m scared to death. I really don`t feel at all capable of doing this. But I`ll try. Sooooo... pray please.

A faa`ito`ito! 愛しています!

-スミス 姉妹

Also, in case you all can`t read what the post-it says: ``I`m hungry but I`m fat.`` #storyofmyliferightnow

Week #32

Dear all,

Well, this girl finally saw some Conference. And it was in English. I partied with my American Elder friends and my cute Filipino Dorothy friend. It was a good experience. I loved President Uchtdorf`s and Elder Holland`s. Good stuff right there.

We also had Shimai Taikai this week. It was fun to get together with all the gurlz. I`m not such a big fan of big ``girl get-togethers`` so I wasn`t 100% looking forward to it, but I did enjoy seeing the people I know. There`s a strange pressure that comes with getting together with all these missionaries. It`s hard not to compare yourself to everyone and feel like you`re not doing enough. But all in all, I learned a lot of necessary things and was able to make some new friends. I got to go out streeting with another veteran sister - Sister Hinode`s MTC companion. That was a blast. There are about 80% more people in Fukuoka than there are in Hiroshima, though, so it`s hard to translate all of the things I learned to my daily proselyting. But, whatever. In Hatsukaichi we have to go out with a flash light and search under park benches to FIND people to talk to. In Fukuoka you just walk out your door and there`s a thousand people waiting for you.

The main cool thing I learned that`s going down for the rest of my mission is there are now ``Sister Training Leaders.`` With the enormous influx of sisters, President Gustafson got a letter from Salt Lake that asked to now call these sista-leaders. The responsibilities are basically the equivalent of a Zone Leader. I was beyond thrilled at this development. From hearing the announcement of the age change just 6 months ago while in the MTC to seeing new leadership opportunities open for sister missionaries, I am convinced that now is the best time to be serving a mission. I haven`t always thought that, but I definitely do now. I am not saying this for my benefit and because I want to receive higher status - quite the contrary. But as Sister Dalton said in conference, us women people have a part and our part matters. (The feminist in me is coming out now. My apologies). Anyway, all of these changes are exciting and good. And it`s just plain awesome to be a part of the ``wave`` of missionaries coming in by the thousands.

So at the Sisters conference, Sister Hinode did a training on ``Companion Relationships.`` Sister Hinode had one particularly tough companion quite a while ago, but she came through like a champ. Anyway, she gave a great training on how to show love for your companion when it`s tough and how important it is to work at the relationship. I realized in that moment just how lucky I`ve been to have her for so long. If I learned nothing else, I learned from that Sunrise Sister how to be a good companion. I have a feeling that her example will help me a lot in the year to come.

Also, let`s get a round of applause for our amazing Yamamoto-san. She`s been clean of tobacco for a week and a half! Depending on a few things, she`ll be baptized either this coming Sunday or the following Saturday. Man, it`s been incredible to see her change. Everything is put into perspective when you see that - no matter the doubts or questions you have - the gospel really can bless people`s lives and help them change for good. That brings me a real good feeling. I`m super pumped. Miracles all around!

The best part of my day so far was running into two Frenchmen on the train this morning. I saw them sitting and it was clear they were speaking French. So I went up to them and started chatting. Ever since my run-in with the French family on Miyajima a few months ago (the epic failure one where I could hardly get two sentences out), I have started praying in French every night. (True story. I`m NOT losing my language skills, dang it!) I am pleased to say that I carried on a pretty decent conversation with these two very nice men from Paris, taught them about the Restoration and gave them each a Restoration Pamphlet (they spoke English too). BAM. That`s me. Doing missionary work. In French. Like a boss. 

I`ve been pretty giddy about it all day.

It`s now my goal to find a French INVESTIGATOR and teach them. 

My Japanese has taken over a little (I still had a little trouble remembering certain vocab), but my French comprehension is still top notch. 

That`s my bragging moment for the day. Sorry, I`ll stop now. 

Tell Derrick I`m totally planning on joining him in NYC in a few years. What a dog. Through several stories from Sister Gustafson and listening to General Conference, it`s only been confirmed to me that I want to work in the media somehow. I do look forward to coming home to BYU and writing again. And then I`ll try and be half as awesome as my cousin and make it east with a way cool internship. But it`ll probably only take me half as far. Like to Ohio.

Anyway, it`s been real! I feel like my letters are becoming lamer and lamer. Hopefully this week we`ll have a baptism and other super awesome experiences finding that I can share with you next week. 

A faa`ito`ito! 愛しています!

-スミス 姉妹

1. Me and my ``doki`` (the group I came to Japan with) - Sisters Clingo, Andaca, and Kuribayashi

2. Me and Sisters Buhler and Eddy, whom I also knew in the MTC and have since become pals with.

3. President making eggs. We`re planning on using it as his campaign picture when he runs for President. (He IS a doppelganger for George Bush, is he not?)

Week #31

Dear eerbody,

I haven`t watched Conference yet - they push it back a week in Japan (I almost said Tahiti. Two totally different places, yet i mix them up all the time). I think they should have done that in Tahiti, too. 6:00 am Conference was kind of the worst. Instead we get to watch it this Saturday and Sunday at the nice 10:00 am (in English). Though I will probably be craving some Buttermilk syrup and pancakes... It`s crazy to believe that after this Conference i will only have one more left. Time goes so fastttttt.

That being said, I did hear about the new temple in Cedar City. So, Mom and Brooke, that means we get to go to the Shakespeare Festival, eat shakes at that one drug store, and then go to the temple. Let`s do it!

Also, no. I don`t get the Liahona/Ensign. Other missionaries get it sometimes, but I have yet to read it. I would love it if you would send me the Conference Issue when it comes out. And I did get your package this week - thank you so much! It had all of my favorite things, though I will not partake of the deliciousness that is Cadbury until April 28th, after Yamamoto-san is baptized. 

Her baptism is after transfer calls. I am starting to get really nervous for the end of the transfer. Since I`ve been with Sister Hinode for my entire time in Japan, I really, REALLY don`t want to say goodbye. She is my family, now. Also, I really don`t want to leave Hatsukaichi. I know that I can`t stay here forever, but I love this area so much. The ward members are my friends. I want to be there for Yamamoto-san`s baptism. But, you know, it`s whatever the Man Upstairs decides. 

On Sunday, we had a Missionary Fireside that was led by us missionaries and my favorite returned missionary-friend, Kaho. I was really dreading this Fireside because we were only told of it a week in advance. I am a firm believer in planning when it comes to missionary work. My life depends on the effectiveness of our weekly and daily planning sessions and also lesson preparation. I`m an organized person, so I like to know what`s going on. With only a week to plan, us and the Ward Mission Leader, Bishop, and Ward Missionaries were ALL on different pages. It seemed like nothing could be decided and I was extremely frustrated many times this week. The night before we stayed up past 10:30 agonizing over this fireside and how it was going to go. Even the day of we didn`t really have a plan and I was super on edge. 

However, it was amazing. I am so inspired by Kaho who recently returned from a mission in Brazil. She shared a bunch of pictures and emotionally talked about her experience among the Brazilians. I too shed some tears over how much her experience reminded me of Tahiti. I learned more than I can express from the people of Tahiti. I have come to realize how instrumental that experience was in my life over the last few months. Daily I remember their example of extreme generosity, love, passion for the gospel, and their sincerity. Their influence has also blessed the lives of those in Japan, even a little bit.

If anyone from Tahiti ever reads this - which the chances are probably slim - just know that my heart will ALWAYS be with you in that beautiful little island. You changed my life.

Anyway, after that we stood up to talk. Hinode Shimai was crying (she`s always crying), and she talked about how we can`t do missionary work by ourselves. We need the members. For a ward that is rarely quiet, the room was completely silent. I then spoke and I started crying too (guys, seriously, I never used to cry. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?) I realized, in that moment, just how much I loved these people. That love that I found for the Tahitians was growing in me for the people of Japan. I looked out at that ward of about 60-70 people and saw my family. Every single adult member in the congregation (disregarding the adult children of families in the ward) are converts. Many left family traditions and completely changed their lifestyle because they love the gospel. These people are incredibly strong - stronger than any people I have ever met. And I realized how limited my time is among them. 

We had them all think about how they can better spread the gospel this year and what goals they could set to be more unified with us. Overall, it ended spectacular. (A miracle, seriously).

So, yeah, that was good or whatever.

This week, Ichimaru Shimai left to go to Amurrica. It`s pretty strange going back to just the two of us. She`s going to rock it in Temple Square, though.

I am literally about to collapse I`m so exhausted. Last weekend was crazy busy, and this week is even busier. Sunday I stayed up late helping Ichimaru Shimai pack. Yesterday she left at about 5:30 am. Then, we sort of didn`t take a P-Day and we had a lesson in the afternoon with Yamamoto-san. Then we rushed to Takasu area and went shopping for about four hours to buy furnishings for a new apartment for a new missionary couple. Then we got back late from Takasu. Thursday and Friday we have a Sisters Conference in Fukuoka. Saturday/Sunday is General Conference. SO TIRED.

But it`s great being busy. I enjoy it.

Saturday was also really busy. There was an all-day long ``Prep-Mission`` (mission prep? Japanese is silly) where all of the youth in the stake who are preparing to go on missions come and get training from us full-timers and then we go out and dendo (er, do missionary work). I was paired with a cute 16-year-old named Yuuka-chan. It was POURING rain and we were sopping wet, but we had a good time. She had only gone out with missionaries once before, so she wanted to try housing. We knocked on a whole lot of doors, but people were especially rude that day. Sad days. But we had a good time. And it also helped me realize that maybe I CAN do missionary work without Sister Hinode. Maybe.

Anyway. Good times being a missionary! 

Also, I`m reading Exodus right now (in the Bible). I`ve been humming ``Prince of Egypt`` all week. I`m trying to organize a District or Zone P-Day where we watch it because I really want to.

Lastly, Yamamoto-san has now gone three days without smoking! She`s amazing! Pray for her! Pray for us!

I`m grateful to you all for your love and support. Keep being great! A faa`ito`ito! 愛しています!

-スミス 姉妹

Week #30

Dear eerbody,

I don`t have much time because we have an appointment to rush to in just a little bit. We just had lunch as a Zone. It was delicious. I have been fed very large amounts of food lately. So much deliciousness...

Well, Mom, that rumor you heard was true about missionaries being able to email friends now. Our Zone Leaders forgot to tell us. I had heard from various missionaries that that had happened, but I had heard nothing official so I assumed it was all just rumor. Well, I kept hearing about it so I finally asked the Zone Leaders. They simply said, ``Oh. Yeah, you can email anyone now.`` I guess that was unimportant information to share with us? Whatever. Well, if any of you dear friends of mine read this and decide you want to get messages to me faster, feel free to email me. I only have one hour a week to email, though, so I can`t guarantee I`ll respond... :) But I appreciate all emails, letters, postcards, whatever. 

Japan pretty well has nothing to do with Easter, so I forgot that Easter was even happening. Now I remember. So, Happy Easter!

My chocolate fast was put to the ultimate test when we had a Zone Breakfast last week and I was presented with Nutella. SAD DAYS.

Japan is super beautiful right now. All of the Cherry Blossoms are blooming. Yesterday we went to Miyajima with our investigator, Yokoi-san. She is actually an investigator in Takasu ward (next-door ward), but there are no longer missionaries there, so we are now teaching her. She has a 9-year-old daughter who really loves the missionaries. Yokoi-san was super kind and bought us tickets to go to the Miyajima Aquarium. I pet a penguin! It was pretty awesome.

Sorry this week is lame. Take care everyone and have a great week! A faa`ito`ito! 愛しています!

-スミス 姉妹

Week #29

Dear eerbody,

My relationship with my bike is as such: we`re like coworkers who share the same shift. I don`t really care that much one way or the other. We just work together. 

When I get home from my mission, in a different work environment, I will have different coworkers. Like cars.

Ichimaru Shimai says thank you, Mom, very very much for your willingness to help! She says she`s excited to meet you if you do happen to find her in the future. She`ll be in Temple Square until August of 2014, so we`ll be in Utah at the same time for sure. I hope to go find her as well.

This week has been crazy. In Fukuoka, we had a conference with a former mission president in Fukuoka: President Mills. He also did a fireside at the MTC for all of us going to Japan way back when I was in the MTC (seems like forever ago). He is a great speaker. Basically the entire training was geared towards everyone becoming trainers sooner than later. We`re getting super large amounts of new missionaries in the next few transfers. The amount of missionaries are probably going to double within just a few months. Sooooo we`re all going to be trainers! Scary... I definitely don`t feel ready to become a trainer especially because I haven`t even had a ``breaker`` yet (your second companion after your trainer). But, word on the street is we all have to get ready for the mass group of beans that`s coming.  

Fukuoka and Hiroshima are quite different mostly in the amount of people. Fukuoka is crazy busy. It`s a beautiful place, though. I enjoy spending time there and I would love to serve there eventually.

Riding back with a bunch of missionaries on the four hour bus ride was pretty fun.

On Wednesday there was a Barbecue/soccer activity in a neighboring branch. We took our investigator, Na-chan, to it. It was fun, except for the part where it was POURING rain. I was only wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and jeans and so I was pretty cold after that. Well, I had a cold this weekend. So, that was fun, or whatever. 

Yesterday was Ward Conference in Hatsukaichi. The Bishop really wanted to make it special by having 100 people in attendance. So a lot of ward members pulled through by inviting their friends to come. We met so many people, it was really awesome! I got to play the piano for the program and also for the YM/YW musical number. It was a really good day. It was also great because Dorothy - our recent convert who got baptized in January - gave a talk. She was super nervous, especially regarding the Japanese, but she did an amazing job. I was super proud of her. It`s amazing to see how far she and these other converts have come.

Tell Grandmother that SHE is amazing. I can`t believe it`s almost her 100th birthday! I admire her so much.

Well, I love you all. Thanks for everything! A faa`ito`ito! 愛しています!

-スミス 姉妹

Week #28

Dear eerbody,

Well, I`m in Fukuoka right now. Surprise! I got transferred! JKLOL I didn`t get transferred. We have another conference tomorrow and so we came today to do another exchange with the Fukuoka Sisters. Because it`s P-Day, we arranged to use the computers here instead of in Hiroshima. We asked if we could do an exchange over a week ago, and we found out it was okay at 10:15 last night. Then we got up at 5:30 to catch an 8:30 bus. Then we were on a bus for four hours. It was Legen - WAIT FOR IT.

Last week, we went to visit some active and less active members in kind of a far-away neighborhood. As we were coming home riding down a steep hill, I started to fall quite far behind my two companions. I`m a fast bike rider, so I was surprised at my inability to be able to catch up with them. Then I started hearing this DON DON DON DON sound and then I almost crashed and then I was almost hit by a car and then I realized that my tire had popped. AND THEN we walked home because there were no bicycle shops anywhere. (I was fine, don`t worry).

The other news of the week is that Ichimaru Shimai got her visa! If all goes well (she still has to do an interview and other stuff), she will go into the MTC on April 9th. So then it`ll be just me and Sister Hinode again. 

English class (Eikaiwa) is super fun, but it`s all dependent on whether or not this one particular mecha pera pera student comes. Lately, though, because of him, we split everyone into two groups - beginning and intermediate. There`s a girl in the ward who speaks English excellently and so she`s taken the beginning students while I take the intermediate ones and use only English. It`s fun. 

Also this week, I looked like a dying chicken trying to do Hawaiian dance with some less-actives. Not my thing.

Right now we have one absolutely incredible investigator. It`s Yamamoto-san, whom I mentioned a few weeks ago. She is progressing incredibly well. It`s amazing to watch her find the miracles in her life as she learns more of Christ and reads the Book of Mormon. Yesterday, at church, she told us that the day before, Saturday - when we met with her, she didn`t smoke once that day and she was astonished. She has previously studied with other religions (specifically Jehovah`s Witness), but she said that she never had a desire to quite smoking at that point. Now she`s gone from smoking ten a day to almost 1 or 2 cigarettes a day. CRAY. She`s incredible. Seriously, we`ll go to a lesson and she`ll just be, like, ``So I had some extra free time this week, so I decided to read the Book of Mormon a little more...`` 

I really enjoy our lessons with her because she always asked super interesting questions from her reading. So we always have fun learning together.

Also, I had a triumphant moment where Sister Hinode wasn`t feeling well, so we ended up staying at the apartment one day this week and I decided to call Yamamoto-san all by myself and ask how she was doing and share a message with her. I have a morbid fear of phones. I don`t even like talking on the phone in ENGLISH and then they start talking that Japanese stuff and I think I`m on Mars. But, this girl`s gotta grow up someday. So I did it. And Yamamoto-san was really kind and expressed how happy she was to talk to me on the phone. She`s being baptized at the end of April.

And that amazing woman is the reason I`m not eating chocolate. We`re all fighting/ganbatte-ing/fai`ito`ito-ing together.

I`m sad to hear about BYU. I was actually thinking about basketball just today and was wondering how the NCAA tournament is going. I`m glad I`ll get to see it next year anyway, and I`ll hope that my Cougs will do a little better.

Lastly, I got this amazing present from a member: PEANUT BUTTER. On a scale of 1 to 10 I`m probably at a 99.

-dary.

Thanks for all your support and stuff! A faa`ito`ito! 愛しています!

-スミス 姉妹